Shropshire farmers offered free water tanks after 'driest March in 60 years'
Shropshire farmers are being offered free tanks by a water firm to help them cope with expected drought conditions this summer.
Severn Trent Water is offering free mobile water bowsers to livestock farmers across Shropshire, as part of a new initiative to help manage water demand, it says.
The firm says a total of 700 ‘bowsers’ will be made available to farmers across its region, with priority given to those with livestock, particularly dairy farms, to help them store enough water and support animal welfare during potential hot weather periods.
It comes as the country experiences the driest March in 60 years, the sunniest April on record, followed by more extremely warm and dry weather this month.
“Our aim is to get the 1,100-litre bowsers to the farmers who need them most, providing dependable, on-farm water storage to help maintain supply for livestock during dry spells or for water emergencies,”said Kevin Hatch, from Severn Trent’s Network Operations.
“Our teams will work closely with farmers to understand their water needs and arrange collections from agreed pick-up points, so the bowsers can be efficiently distributed to where they’ll make the greatest difference.”
Originally used as part of Severn Trent’s emergency fleet, the bowsers are being redistributed as the company upgrades to equipment with almost 12 times greater storage capacity.
Mr Hatch says: “The bowsers we’re giving away are in excellent condition, having been dry stored and rarely used, and will be made available on a first-come, first-served basis across our priority areas to farms that meet the criteria.
“They’re fitted with forklift-accessible cages to make them easy to transport and will be cleaned and labelled before distribution.
“While provided empty, the bowsers are ready to fill and use for non-potable purposes – offering a practical solution to help farmers manage peak water demands or low availability. It also helps livestock farms, who must ensure that they have at least 24 hours of water storage for their animals, which is vitally important as we had the driest spring on record.”
The bowser giveaway initiative aims to strengthen on-farm water resilience while supporting Severn Trent’s broader environmental goals to protect water quality and reduce pressure on mains supplies.
Severn Trent will be expanding the initiative to cover other areas in its region, including Staffordshire, Nottinghamshire, and Herefordshire.
